Chunk guns why are they so long?

[snapper]

Why are some chunk guns so long? 

Is it for the long sight radius?

Cant be for the weight, you can make a larger dia. barrel.



Fleener

[oldtravler61]

  Snapper my guess is the sight radious an maybe ta keep you from flinching at the shot!!
  But honestly I have no idea...Or get closer to the target...lol

[okawbow]

I made mine with a 54” barrel, so I could move the rear sight forward a little and still have a long sight spacing.

I’m 64 and can still see the sights clearly on my chunk gun. The extra weight and length also makes the rifle sit still a little better. The same weight and length makes it harder to load, clean and move around also, so there is a balance that needs to be achieved.

[Daryl]

To some point, the heavier the rifle overall, the better/steadier it will sit on the rest.
A narrower but longer barrel, the more weight will be in the muzzle for steadiness and greater length of sight radius
both important.

[snapper]

some day I am going to have to shoot in one of those matches, just to see what the deal is.

Fleener

[Bob Roller]

The crooked as a dog's leg stock and crescent butt plate make a fairly heavy
gun a needed thing.Stock architecture is obviously not a consideration.

Bob Roller

[T*O*F]

some day I am going to have to shoot in one of those matches, just to see what the deal is.

Where ya gonna do that since your inline buddies displaced the Alan Coon Memorial Chunk Gun Range?

However, I've got the barrel, wood and makins to build one.  Ya can hand off the parts to Curtis and let him go to town on it.  Ya will have to get some bibs, a wide tie, and a fedora to go with it.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... Bib overalls , Hat, etc,...not required,... HOWEVER,.... never hurts to look handsome and fashionable at the shoots,.... (the ladies might be watchin') ... HaHaHa,....if you can't out-shoot 'em,.... you can out-look 'em,... !!!.... Regards,... C C Fiddler ....

[snapper]

Always thought that the Alvin York shoot would be interesting to go see.

Been thinking that I need a new pair of bibs as well.

Fleener

[Mike from OK]

Don't know much about chunk guns. But I'm a big fan of bib overalls... I like Roundhouse brand.

Mike

[cahil_2]

I thought the longer barrel leads to a more complete powder burn which increases velocity and stability. 

[Daryl]

In days of really crappy powder, that might have been a consideration.  By the 1850's, the Brits were making rifles and smoothbores with 24" to 30" barrels & these worked just fine.
Prior to 1820 or so, powder was not very good and longer barrels might have been a direct advantage due to that.

Today, for chunk, bench and plank guns, weight and sight radius are the deciding factors.

Concerning rifle weight for offhand shooting, Harry Pope wrote that "a man's rifle should

weigh 14 to 16 pounds and a woman's rifle should weigh 12 pounds complete". These, of course,

were equipped with hooks for the arm pit, palm rests for the hand.